Chicago Reporter Attacked by Protester on Live TV

Ralphie Aversa

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Trending Now•April 4, 2014

Chicago Reporter Attacked by Protester on Live TV

A reporter's brush with a protester made for some interesting live TV … on the competition's newscast.

CBS Chicago chief correspondent Jay Levine was reporting outside of a fundraiser that President Obama was attending. During the live broadcast, a man barged in to the shot, grabbed Levine's microphone, and yelled, "Obama is a war criminal!" The station immediately cut to a recorded package.

But the action continued. NBC Chicago's Mary Ann Ahern was also live outside of the event and stood just a few feet away from Levine. You can hear the protester shouting as she talks about the president's visit. The camera then pans to the left and catches Levine swinging at the protester. A CBS employee, Dennis Williams, brought the man to the ground and held him there as a police officer walked over to the scene.

The CBS station posted raw video of the debacle on its website. In the video, you can see Levine swung his arm in an attempt to free himself from the protester's grip.

The station notes that Levine was not hurt. For his part, the veteran correspondent took the incident in stride. He acknowledged the protester at the end of his live report, saying he had the right to speak his mind on live TV. Levine also made mention of the event on Twitter.

Levine's fellow CBS reporter, Chris Martinez, had a little more fun with it online. Martinez posted a screenshot of the incident with the caption, "It's National Hug A #Newsman Day! But please, ask permission first..."